Daily Human Digest
Cosmos continues to stir up creationists
The latest episode of Cosmos, devoted to explaining the nature of space, time, and the speed of light, presented a ...
Urban students’ ancestry added to National Geographic project
Through City College biology professor Michael Hickerson’s project, 200 students are participating in a global research initiative run by National ...
French fries and skinny genes: Are we programmed to be obese?
Genes and diet interact to pack on pounds, but not as much as the media thinks. Even as we learn ...
Do vaccines cause autism? No, it’s in the genes
Over the last few years, we’ve seen an explosion of studies linking autism to a wide variety of genetic and ...
New technique creates stem cells that grow faster
Stem cell therapy is often hailed as the treatment of the future for several diseases. And mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)—which ...
Despite ethical issues, screen kids for low IQ because some treatment may be possible
There could be a way of predicting – and preventing – which children will go on to have low intelligence, ...
More stem cell papers questioned: Why is the field so vulnerable?
It is too soon to say whether two papers reporting the results will have to be retracted. But for stem ...
Aging gene linked to melanoma
A type of melanoma that runs in families may be caused by a fault in a gene that helps protect ...
Gene makes saliva super-potent, linked to weight
Perhaps it should be renamed the Atkins gene. Scientists have found a small piece of genetic code that seems to ...
MIT researchers use MRI to study genetic activity in brains
MIT researchers have used genetic engineering and a bit of chemistry to make it possible, for the first time, to ...
New insight into the genetics of how blood cells form
Research published online in Blood, the Journal of the American Society of Hematology, presents an unprecedented look at five unique ...
New synthetic genes for human favorite baker’s yeast
The humble baker's yeast has been enlisted to serve the needs of humanity, responsible for beer, wine and bread, among ...
Breakthrough biology: First synthetic chromosome for yeast created, capping month of biotech innovations
Scientists have created the first man-made chromosome for yeast, a landmark for synthetic biology that promises to push the boundaries ...
Gene studies suggest ‘races’ may exist but sociologists push back, fearing stereotypes
Sociologists worry that research into population differences will create a new kind of racism while geneticists believe that social scientists ...
Epigenetic changes may spur autism
Recent findings suggest that certain environmental factors can influence the development of autism spectrum disorder. About one in 100 people ...
Arrested for a felony? You must provide DNA, appeals court says
A federal appeals court on Thursday upheld California's law requiring people arrested for felonies to submit samples of their DNA ...
Gene regulator plays role in Alzheimer’s
Along with symptoms of cognitive decline, Alzheimer’s disease patients often have an accumulation of plaques and tangles of proteins in ...
Gene mutation linked to irritable bowel syndrome in some patients
Approximately 2% of patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) have a mutation of the SCN5A gene that disrupts sodium channel ...
Opt in or opt out? Battle over Minnesota’s newborn genetic screening law
The Minnesota Department of Health would regain broad authority to test and store blood samples from newborn babies under legislation ...
Map of how DNA controls cells may boost gene therapies
The clearest map yet of how genes control cells to make our bodies work has been drawn up. The map ...
Genetics has dramatically changed the fields of archeology and anthropology. What next?
We are in the midst of an an ancient-genomics boom. In the past year, researchers have unveiled the two oldest ...
Pre-natal neuron disorganization may cause autism
Nobody knows what causes autism, a condition that varies so widely in severity that some people on the spectrum achieve ...
Genes determine when and why rheumatoid arthritis is triggered
A new international study has revealed how genetics could explain why different environmental exposures can trigger the onset of different ...
DNA identifies missing WW2 soldier, but US won’t use technique to find more
U.S. Army Private First Class Lawrence S. Gordon — killed in Normandy in 1944, then mistakenly buried as a German ...
Birth of ‘living materials’ at MIT combines synthetic biology, materials engineering
Hot on the heels of the creation of bionic plants, MIT has announced the development of "living materials" using bacteria, ...
Can grapefruits be dangerous with drugs? The answer is in our genes
Many people believe that just because a food is unprocessed that it's safe. But many foods can interact with drugs, ...
DNA tests show Elvis Presley prone to obesity and heart disease
Elvis Presley may have died because of genetic conditions that made him prone to obesity and heart disease - rather ...